This invention is directed to a method for fabricating an electrophotographic photoreceptor and, more particularly, to such a method wherein a thin selenium layer is deposited on a substrate by electroless deposition.
The formation and development of images on the imaging surfaces of photoconductive materials by electrostatic means is well known. The best known of the commercial processes, more commonly known as xerography, involves forming an electrostatic latent image on the imaging surface of a photoreceptor by first uniformly electrostatically charging the surface of the imaging layer in the dark and then exposing this electrostatically charged surface to an imagewise pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation. The light-struck areas of the imaging layer are thus rendered relatively conductive and the electrostatic charge selectively dissipated in these irradiated areas. After the photoreceptor is exposed, the electrostatic latent image on this image bearing surface is typically rendered visible with a finely divided colored marking material, known in the art as "toner". This toner will be principally attracted to those areas on the image bearing surface which retain the electrostatic charge and thus form a visible powder image. The electrostatic latent image may also be used in a host of other ways as, for example, electrostatic scanning systems may be employed to "read" the latent image or the latent image may be transferred to other materials by TESI techniques and stored. A developed image can then be read or permanently affixed to the photoconductor where the imaging layer is not to be reused.
IN THE COMMERCIAL "PLAIN PAPER" COPYING SYSTEMS, THE LATENT IMAGE IS TYPICALLY DEVELOPED ON THE SURFACE OF A REUSABLE PHOTORECEPTOR, SUBSEQUENTLY TRANSFERRED TO A SHEET OF PAPER AND THEN PERMANENTLY AFFIXED THERETO TO FORM A PERMANENT REPRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL OBJECT. The imaging surface of the photoreceptor is then cleaned of any residual toner and additional reproductions of the same or other original objects can be made thereon.
Many techniques for fabricating photoreceptors are known in the art. Nevertheless, even in well established areas of technology such as xerography there continue to be found novel techniques for fabricating known articles. The present invention relates to a novel method for fabricating a photoreceptor.